Peter Parker and His New Job
by R.Halliwell-Parker
Summary: Set after Endgame. Peter is struggling with the aftermath of Endgame but when Pepper calls he goes to help. What he didn't sign up for was babysitting duty.


_**Notes: **_

Just a bittersweet one-shot featuring Morgan and Peter. I thought the ending of Endgame was the right ending for the characters but that doesn't mean it wasn't sad and that's why this does stick with the ending but I might write a "fix-it" fic where everyone is happy and the world is full of rainbows and unicorns. I don't own Marvel. Enjoy!

It had been months since Peter Parker had watched another father figure die. The whole world mourned the loss of the Black Widow and Iron Man. However, Peter mourned the loss of Tony Stark, a man who had inspired him since he could remember and a man that had taught Peter more than how to be a hero. He supposed that he should look back fondly on the days in the lab or the nights when they sat and watched movies but Peter couldn't, not yet anyway.

Every time that Peter heard the name or saw a mural, he thought about those last moments how he could hear Tony's heart slowing down. The moments after that were a blur, he remembered his uncontrollable sobbing and May wrapping her arms around him so tightly that he could barely breathe. Peter remembered the funeral, being unable to shed a tear like he had completely drained himself of water and he remembered Pepper and Happy and Rhodey telling him that Tony did it to save him as if that was comforting. Perhaps this would comfort some people but to Peter they might as well have shouted, "You killed Iron Man."

Everything had been strange since that day. He started back at school and was lucky to still have Ned and MJ by his side, half of their old classmates had graduated and some had finished college. There was this integration program to help people back into society smoothly which included group therapy once a week which was basically teens complaining about missing out on things. The first session was on a Monday straight after school with his classmates, they had been asked what they remembered about the Decimation. Everyone had spoken about how they were doing this and that, then they woke up and it was five years later. This was the horrifying moment Peter realised he was the only person that had felt it, he remembered the feeling that something bad was happening like in a horror movie when you know a jumpscare is about to happen but times a million. Peter woke up almost every night with the same dream or memory. He felt it, he felt himself beginning to crumble and he felt his enhanced healing trying to prevent it and failing. He felt it every night.

The final Friday bell rang and Peter exited the school like it was on fire. He arrived back at the empty apartment, sat at his desk and started to work. It was almost 4:30 when his phone buzzed, he turned it, saw that Pepper was calling and immediately turned it around again. The phone rang once more and then the landline rang. Peter tried his best to ignore the annoyingly loud phone but when the text buzzed he was afraid of something being seriously wrong.

_Hi Peter, I know that you're ignoring my calls but could you please come over? It's important. -Pepper _

Peter's heart started beating a little faster, afraid that something had happened. He quickly got up and ran downstairs. He got in May's car which was for emergencies only, Peter had passed his driver's test but May was cautious about him using the car. He arrived pretty quickly (after breaking the speed limit) at the cabin and ran to the door which he knocked on repeatedly before Pepper answered.

"Peter, thank goodness your here," She said and dragged him inside the door. Peter had only been to the lake house once and it wasn't under great circumstances.

"Is everything okay?"

"I've gotten called in for a meeting and the nanny is out of town," Pepper replied.

"Pepper! I thought something had happened, I was worried sick and I am not a babysitter. I've got things to do."

"Like what?"

"Homework, study, Spider-Man.

"Last time I checked Spider-Man hadn't been seen in months. I'm sure he doesn't mind taking one more day off to help a friend. Also I checked with May and she thought it was a good idea." Pepper was frantically running around the living room picking up bits and pieces. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "Morgan's in her room, there's food in the fridge and make sure she's in bed before 9. She'll try to convince you to leave her stay up but don't listen. Be back later."

Peter stood frozen staring at the door for at least minute. He had only met Morgan once, at Mr Stark's funeral but they hadn't said much and now he had to spend however many hours with her. Peter wasn't the best with kids probably due to the fact the cute, clumsy, stammering over words thing that charmed adults didn't work on kids because they were cuter, clumsier and stammered over more words.

"Hey Morgan," he called as he tried to figure out which room belonged to her. Peter tried to calm himself down, _it's just a normal kid, _he thought, _one that looks suspiciously like a young, female Tony Stark._

"Who's there?" Morgan revealed herself with a nerf gun in her hands for self defence but to Peter's surprise she lowered it immediately and ran to Peter. "Spider-Man," she shouted and wrapped her arms around Peter's waist.

"Looks like someone doesn't know the meaning of secret identity," Peter muttered under his breath but he ruffled the small child's hair.

"Why are you here?" Morgan looked at him with Tony's eyes which Peter felt a pang of sorrow.

"Your mom got called into work and she asked me to watch you," Peter replied. "So, what do you wanna do?"

"Can we go swimming?"

Peter looked outside, it was getting dark and swimming didn't seem like a good idea.

"I don't think so Morgan. It's getting late."

"I wanna go swimming," Morgan said again and looked at Peter with the cutest puppy dog eyes to ever exist.

"No Morgan," Peter replied again, "any other ideas?"

"Can we go to Daddy's lab?" Peter looked at Morgan and instantly saw the mischievous smirk on her face which she tried to hide but failed.

"Are you allowed down there?" Peter raised an eyebrow and Morgan nodded enthusiastically. "I don't believe you, FRIDAY, is Morgan allowed in Mr Stark's lab?" Morgan looked betrayed by the fact Peter didn't trust her.

"No, Miss Stark doesn't have permission to enter the lab." Morgan pouted and grumbled something about FRIDAY being a traitor under her breath. Peter finally suggested dinner and it kept the child occupied for a while. Peter was doing the dishes and Morgan was putting them away when Peter saw some photos. He picked one up, it was Peter and Tony before any of this crazy stuff had happened. Peter looked so happy, Tony too. Peter blinked back the tears, Morgan glanced at the photo.

"Daddy used to tell me loads of stories about Spider-Man. He told me how you stole Captain America's shield and how you once fought a giant. I think he made that up though, cause giants don't exist."

"Are you kidding me, of course I took down a giant. He was five times taller than this house and it was my idea that saved us all," Peter exclaimed in a dramatic story telling voice which made Morgan burst into a fit of giggles.

"I miss my Daddy," she whispered.

I miss him too," Peter replied as he ruffled her hair. They finished the dishes and Morgan had suggest at least twenty activities that could lead to serious injury.

"I wanna have fun," she moaned as she jumped up and down on the couch beside where Peter sat.

"We can watch a movie or play with some toys. And would you stop bouncing or you'll fall." Peter was not having a fun night and Morgan definitely wasn't. He wanted to get along with Morgan more than anything else but he just couldn't. He couldn't face either of them after the funeral without being overwhelmed with guilt. Peter looked at photos in the house and saw the family they had grown into during those five years and Tony had thrown it away to save Peter (and half of life), Peter couldn't forgive himself for causing Mr Stark to throw all of this away. He felt a chill and the hairs on his arms raise. Peter turned quickly to Morgan and stuck out his arm, pressing the button that was attached to his web shooter. Morgan wobbled slightly but Peter had stopped her from smashing her nose on the floor.

"I think it's time to stop bouncing," Peter said and his heart was thumping against his chest. Morgan was looking at the little web attached to her back with wide eyes.

"Mommy said you weren't Spider-Man anymore," she said as she sat down beside Peter. Peter wasn't sure how to answer this question. He wasn't Spider-Man but he also couldn't not wear the web shooter, the cold band was comforting to him.

"I'm not really anymore," Peter replied and Morgan looked at Peter with wide eyes as if taking in everything she could about the superhero. Maybe he shouldn't have been trying so hard to think of her as a normal kid, maybe he should have been thinking of her as Tony Stark's daughter. "You wanna try it?"

"Really?" She squealed and put out her hand. Peter grabbed some toys for target practice and lined them up. The two took turns shooting the undeserving toys and for the first time Peter felt that he had made a breakthrough with Morgan. He made her a web skipping rope which she giddily played with and set up a web obstacle course which they had almost gotten stuck in.

Pepper returned a few hours later and it took all her energy not to scream when she saw the nightmare that was her house. Webs from the ceilings and the walls. She moved through into the sitting room, the tv was still on but Peter was asleep and curled against his side was Morgan who was also dozing peacefully. Pepper quietly moved and turned off the television. She went and grabbed some blankets and covered the two children. The two had clearly gotten on well and Pepper felt a rush of relief at the fact that her letting Peter babysit hadn't backfired. She grabbed her phone and took a photo of the adorable scene and sent it to May. Mission accomplished.


End file.
